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Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – The Gladstone Theatre

29May

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – The Gladstone Theatre

Taking on a musical like Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, the true story of a young man who dreams of being a drag queen and wearing a dress to prom, can be an ambitious project requiring a strong, triple-threat cast, clever staging and the energy to send the show strutting into the audience’s hearts in glittery heels. Thankfully D&S Productions have achieved this in spades. Under the assured direction of Donna Dale, the company have delivered a sassy and sparkly show that brings all the right notes of humour and humanity to a hugely enjoyable performance. Donna has honed her ensemble into a very high standard, with smart blocking and some lovely directorial touches. Similarly Musical Director Grace Harman leads her band with a solid showcase of Dan Gillespie Sells’ fizzy musical...

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Blackpool Grand

29May

By Abigail PendleburyNo Comments

North West

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Blackpool Grand

In a bold and brilliant move to celebrate their 75th anniversary, Blackpool & Fylde Light Opera Company (BFLOC) brought Everybody’s Talking About Jamie to the Grand Theatre—and what a celebration it was. This amateur production proved that local theatre can deliver just as much heart, polish, and power as the West End, especially when powered by an immensely talented cast of teenagers and young adults. At the heart of the story is 16-year-old Jamie New, a Sheffield schoolboy with drag queen dreams and the courage to chase them. Playing Jamie was Seb Holbert, a NODA award-winning young performer whose charisma, emotional depth, and vocal control lit up the stage. Holbert captured both Jamie's flamboyant confidence and his inner vulnerability with remarkable maturity for such a young ...

29May

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Marriage Material – Lyric Hammersmith

The clash of cultures is a tale as old as time. Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti's adaptation of Sathnam Sanghera's novel, itself a take on Arnold Bennett's 1908 "The Old Wives' Tale", focuses on the conflict between tradition and change within a Sikh Punjabi family in the 1960s and over the following decades. Family and cultural expectations demand that sisters Kamaljit and Surinder marry, have children, and work in the family business, the corner shop that forms the centrepiece of the story. Their mother juggles the demands of the family, managing the shop after her husband falls ill while fending off suggestions from "Uncle" Dhandra, a more successful shop-owner, that she sell the shop to him. She's a firm, sometimes even cruel matriarch, determined like her sick husband to make a better life for h...

29May

By Sadie PearsonNo Comments

London

House of Life – Soho Theatre

Mad, glitzy and totally camp, what a glorious night of theatre House of Life is. A silly show with heaps of heart, The Raverend (Ben Welch) and Trev (Laurence Cole) take their audience on a journey of joyous enlightenment through a 6 step plan to get happy quick. Mad as a concept, the performance is less of a story and more of a cabaret-come-religious-experience, with glorious concoction of house, gospel and a cracking set of pipes (the Raverend in particular knocking it out the park vocally every time). Attacking the audience's insecurities with mantras of radical self love, honesty and community, House of Life’s great success is that it leaves no audience member un-nurtured. Chickens often the theme - an unsubtle metaphor for rebirth - we are offered egg-maracas (as well as f...

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) – Leeds Grand Theatre

28May

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) – Leeds Grand Theatre

I have to confess I’ve always found Regency novels like Pride & Prejudice excruciatingly boring but this tongue in cheek romp through Jane Austen’s masterpiece is the exact opposite. The vague premise of the show is that we see the antics of the Bennet family, and assorted posh folk in Meryton, from the perspective of the servants. Isobel McArthur who loosely adapted the novel uses that device to allow five incredibly hardworking and funny women the chance to play all the characters as they hurtle on and off stage. This show is in the best traditions of British farce, which probably has some Austen superfans clutching their pearls in disgust, especially as our Bennet girls are a bit potty mouthed. However, if you’re not a tiresome snob then it’s a chance to enjoy a ribald trip th...

Something About Lennon – Theatre Royal, St Helens

28May

By Kevin EcclestonNo Comments

North West

Something About Lennon – Theatre Royal, St Helens

The latest production from the acclaimed team behind Something About George and Something About Simon, Something About Lennon goes beyond mere tribute—it’s a theatrical deep dive into the life, music, and complexity of one of history’s most influential artists. Far from a standard nostalgia trip, this show brings an intense and thoughtful exploration of John Lennon’s journey, presenting his highs and lows with both reverence and raw honesty. Making its debut tour from May to July 2025, Something About Lennon will travel across 26 venues nationwide, with a standout performance at Theatre Royal, St Helens, on May 27th. At the heart of this production is Liverpool actor, West End performer, and musician Daniel Taylor, whose stage presence and musicality anchor the show in authenticity. Sup...

The Pornstar Martini Effect: A Bartender’s Guide to not K*lling Yourself at Christmas – The King’s Arms

28May

By Peter RuddickNo Comments

North West

The Pornstar Martini Effect: A Bartender’s Guide to not K*lling Yourself at Christmas – The King’s Arms

It's that time of the year when theatre companies and productions gear up for Edinburgh. The team behind The Pornstar Martini Effect will be taking their show to the fringe and, judging by the Manchester previews, they are pretty much ready. Even if the first performance at the Kings Arms in Salford didn't get going until a good half hour after the advertised start time. This is a slickly directed and solidly acted two-hander with some interesting things to say about misogyny, gender stereotypes and the complexities of human nature. Kat (Zane Marsland) and Tom (Finnen McNiffe) are working the dreaded Christmas Eve shift at a packed bar. Alongside the inevitable shaking, mixing, straining and pouring they are also having to deal with inappropriate customers. Their personal s...

27May

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

The Greater Manchester Improv Festival 2025

The first Greater Manchester Improv Festival will showcase the best of the region’s growing improv comedy and theatre scene. The festival will take place at the award-winning Kings Arms, Salford 6th-8th June 2025. With sixteen shows and four workshops (including a taster session for anyone wanting to try improv themselves) there's something for everyone. Tickets for all events just £5. "We have everything from improvised murder mysteries to musicals, showcasing new teams and seasoned festival acts," says Greater Manchester Improv Festival organiser Bron Edge, who also runs the award-winning Totally Improvised Company. "The Manchester Improv scene has exploded in the last few years so we decided it was time to bring together as many acts as we could fit into a weekend stuffed full of tal...

27May

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Win a signed Dr Who Clapperboard

53two is giving you a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a priceless Dr Who clapperboard, signed by 9 members of the cast! MUST END MIDNIGHT, SATURDAY 31st MAY 53two, Manchester's fully accessible and leading arts venue, is thrilled to announce an exclusive raffle, giving Dr Who’s immense fanbase the chance to win a genuine and extremely rare piece of Dr Who memorabilia. This clapperboard was used during the filming of season two, featuring the 15th Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa and was donated to them by their patron and star of Dr Who, Ruth Madeley. This priceless clapperboard is an iconic symbol of the show and represents a unique collector's item for enthusiasts of the long running BBC series. With added value being signed by 9 members of the cast; Anita Dobson, Jemma Redgrave, Varad...

The Ultimate Classic Rock Show – Festival Theatre

27May

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

The Ultimate Classic Rock Show – Festival Theatre

UCRS are becoming something of an institution, celebrating twenty years of rocking on stage this year. Original band members Luke Bradshaw (Lead Guitar) and Gareth Kedward (Keyboards) are still going strong and showing no signs of slacking in this high tempo run through some of the most iconic rock tracks of the last few decades of the twentieth century. Bradshaw guitar work is simply wonderful, and without doubt some of the best I have seen for many a year! An enthusiastic audience at Edinburgh’s Festival theatre were on board from the very first note as lead man Rory Bridgeman launched into Freddie’s, One Vision, quickly followed by Coverdale’s, Fool For Your Loving. A cracking start! The quality of the vocals and musical accompaniment point towards a well-oiled and well drilled ma...